Political Circle
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"The state should stay out of people's wallets and private lives"
At 5 o'clock, you want the state mostly out of people's lives — economically and socially. Live and let live. You back civil liberties and economic freedom together. Rules should be minimal, transparent and evenly applied. You're deeply suspicious of authority telling people how to live or what to do with their money.
You're staunchly individualist: people should be free to pursue happiness as they see fit, as long as they don't harm others. Voluntary cooperation and markets should do most of the work. Government's role is to protect basic rights and freedoms, then get out of the way.
Your position at 5 o'clock tells us your direction, but how far you are from the centre tells us the strength of your convictions. The Political Circle recognises three levels:
"Leave people alone mostly, intervene rarely"
As a moderate 5 o'clock, you lean libertarian but accept that some collective action makes sense. You want maximum economic and social freedom but acknowledge the occasional need for coordination or safety nets. Pure libertarianism appeals to you theoretically, but the reality is messier.
Historical example: Gary Johnson — two-term governor of New Mexico and Libertarian presidential candidate (2012, 2016), who embodied pragmatic libertarianism.
"Maximum liberty, minimal state — freedom in all domains"
You have clear libertarian convictions. Government's legitimate functions are minimal: protecting rights, enforcing contracts, providing defence. Everything else should be private or voluntary. You're not at the anarcho-capitalist extreme, but you're sceptical of almost all government beyond core functions.
Historical example: Robert Nozick — Anarchy, State, and Utopia (1974) is libertarianism's philosophical foundation.
"No rulers, only voluntary exchange — government itself is the problem"
As a strong 5 o'clock, you question even minimal government. Perhaps private security, private courts, private everything. Taxation is theft. All government is coercion. Even the "night-watchman state" is too much — why have any state at all?
Historical example: Murray Rothbard — anarcho-capitalism's foremost theorist: if all government rests on coercion, replace it entirely with market institutions.
Libertarian Party presidential candidate and former Governor
Johnson combined fiscal conservatism with social liberalism: lower taxes, marijuana legalisation, marriage equality and non-intervention abroad. His "socially liberal, fiscally conservative" platform — maximum freedom across the board — defines the 5 o'clock position in American politics.
Libertarian presidential candidate (2020)
Like Gary Johnson, Jorgensen stood for maximum freedom in all domains, but was pragmatic about implementation.
Libertarian philosopher
Nozick's "Anarchy, State, and Utopia" defended minimal government and self-ownership. He argued for entitlement theory — that just acquisition and transfer create legitimate holdings — and championed a "night-watchman state" limited to protecting rights. His work defines modern libertarian philosophy at 5 o'clock.
Writer and founder of American libertarianism
Lane's "The Discovery of Freedom" argued that individual liberty, not collective planning, drives progress. She championed self-reliance, free markets and minimal government. Her influence on modern libertarian thought and her defence of liberty against New Deal collectivism shaped 5 o'clock ideology.
Economist and political theorist
Rothbard was anarcho-capitalism's foremost theorist. He argued that if voluntary exchange is moral and coercion is immoral, then all government is immoral and should be replaced entirely with market institutions: private defence agencies, arbitration firms and insurance. His work represents the far edge of strong 5 o'clock, with no government whatsoever.
Economist and author
Milton Friedman's son advocates anarcho-capitalism from a consequentialist, rather than a rights-based, perspective. His book The Machinery of Freedom argues that private provision of law and security would work better than a government monopoly.
The new book, 'Beyond Left and Right: Understanding the Political Circle' is now available on Amazon.
Containing a wealth of information, the book explores all of the 12 philosophical positions with detailed analysis on each of the three levels.